This invention pertains to the art of vacuum cleaners and more particularly to hand-held vacuum cleaners and the like.
The invention is particularly applicable to converting an existing single bag vacuum cleaner to a dual bag arrangement and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader applications and may be advantageously employed in other environments and applications.
A prior art hand-held vacuum cleaner includes a motor housing encompassing a conventional rotary motor which defines suction means for removing dirt and debris from a surface. A nozzle housing extends integrally from the motor housing to facilitate vacuuming the surface. According to one type of prior structure, a beater brush is operatively disposed in the nozzle housing to provide a mechanical sweeping action that works in conjunction with the suction means. A handle is commonly formed as an integral extension of the motor housing and includes a power switch for selectively supplying electrical current to the motor. A flexible fabric or cloth bag is sealingly secured to an end of the motor housing disposed away from the nozzle housing and designed to receive dirt, debris, and the like picked up by the suction means. An elastic retaining ring sealingly secures the flexible bag to the motor housing.
Prior art structures of this type have met with tremendous commercial success. Once the flexible bag has substantially filled with dirt, the retaining ring may be selectively removed from the motor housing so that the flexible bag can be emptied. Although designed for continued use and durable wear, the flexible bag does retain a certain amount of fine particles or dirt after extended use. In an effort to eliminate some of this retained dirt, it has been considered desirable to incorporate a second, disposable filter bag into the assembly. This arrangement necessarily requires a changeover in the present structure to incorporate a second, disposable bag therein.
An important feature of the incorporation of a second, disposable bag is the ability to facilitate changeover of existing hand-held vacuum cleaners. Thus, it is necessary that the second bag should not radically alter the arrangement of existing component parts. Further, prior art vacuum cleaners that have employed dual bags are normally associated with the larger floor model. Special designs are required in these floor models to accommodate a disposable filter bag. More specifically, the filter bags are clipped on or employ an elastic retaining ring in an effort to sealingly secure the disposable filter bags to the outlet.
The subject invention is deemed to meet these needs and overcome the above-noted problems and others while economically adapting present hand-held vacuum cleaner structures with a disposable filter bag.